| Research Abstract |
Search for anti-inflammatory principles from medicinal plants was carried out by monitoring suppressive effect against nitric oxide (NO) production in activated macrophages (Mφ). The result of this investigation is as follows:
1. The AcOEt soluble portion of the methanol extract of Acer nikoense, a hepatoprotective Japanese folk medicine, suppressed the NO production in activated Mφ when orally treated, and (+)-rhododendrol was isolated as an active compound. Epi-Rhododendrin isolated from the n-BuOH soluble portion suppressed the NO production in vivo, too.
2. The methanol extract of Cleome droserifolia, one of the Egyptian folk medicines, suppressed the NO production in vitro, and two flavonoids were isolated as active compounds. Their structures were determined as 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone and 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3',5'-pentamethoxyflavone, respectively.
3 The methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata, an Indonesian anti-inflammatory crude drug, suppressed the NO production in vivo. The active compound was isolated and identified to be neoandrographolide.
4. The methanol extract of Caesalpinia sappan, one of the Indonesian folk medicines, suppressed the NO production in vitro, and a chalcone was isolated as an active compound. The structure was determined as 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,2'-dimethoxychalcone.
5. Febrifugine, the main alkaloidal constituent of Dichroa febrifuga, an anti-malarial Chinese crude drug, potentiated the NO production in activated Mφ in vivo, which is the reason of the anti-malarial activity.
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